OK, my name is Adolphus Kiawu. I'm from Liberia. I graduated from high school in 2016. I graduated from a school called Zorzor Lutheran Mission School.
When I was in the school, I started doing business. The first kind of business I started doing was selling soap.
Like iron soap. When you cut the palm, then you burn it, then you buy caustic and mix it up.
Then it will get a little bit thick, and you can wrap it up and try to make soap with it, because some people can wash their dirty clothes with it.
That what I was doing occassionally, because I come from a very poor background. My mother didn't have a lot of money, and neither did my father.
We had to farm before we could eat sometimes. And when I was able to, I would do business.
After I came from high school, I didn't have money to go to school yet.
So what I told my mother, after we discussed it, was that I didn't have enough money, so I should work until I had enough to pay for higher education.
She agreed, so I'm working now until I have enough money, then I will make a plan and learn more.
I'm living in Zorzor, Lofa County, which is in Liberia. The northern part of Liberia, that's where I am.
The way I look at it, Zorzor is a big town. Although this a rural area, we have big towns, villages, and small, private farms.
For the people around us, we have market day in the town. After the farmers plant their pepper and other crops, they harvest and come sell on market day, which is Thursday.
With the money they make, they will buy rice and other goods to bring them home. They need these goods to feed their children, since they live in poor, rural areas.
As for my own shop, I have people coming from rural areas who don't know how to put music on their phone. So they come to me and I put music on their phone, which they listen to while they are working.
People like all types of music, such as Loma music, Kpelle music, and Kissi music.
That's how I've been running my business and living my life.
We say Zorzor is a city because it's the largest town in the area. Within Lofa County, specifically Zorzor district, we are the largest area.
If you want to buy anything here, you have to get here quickly, because people can come from many areas to meet in Zorzor and buy things here.
Then, people go back to their villages and farms. Some people can even sleep on their farms.
They will build small kitchens, and when they plant rice they don't want criminals, or rogues, to steal it, so they will try to guard it themselves.
That's what I wanted to say, thank you very much. Again, my name is Adolphus Kiawu, or in Loma, "My name is Adolphus Kiawu"
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